Putting is a skill that is all about feel and confidence, and selecting your putter is a personal decision. If your putter does not provide the feel and inspire confidence, you will struggle to hole many crucial putts.
Driving the ball over three hundred yards counts the same as a 3-inch putt, but many golfers take much more time in selecting their driver than their putter. The same goes for practicing their putting.
If you want one of the best putters on the market, the Scott Cameron Newport 2 could be it. Tiger Woods and other pros thought so.
Is it the right fit for you?
Learn everything you need to know in our Scotty Cameron Newport 2 review.
The Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Review
Pros
- Good distance control
- Classic beauty with modern touches
- Quiet on impact
- Good stability throughout the swing
- Clean and simple at address
Cons
- Higher price tag
- Not for beginners
- Bolder visual cues would be nice
| Category | Rating |
| Alignment | 5 out of 5 stars |
| Feel | 5 out of 5 stars |
| Balance | 5 out of 5 stars |
| Looks | 5 out of 5 stars |
| Performance | 5 out of 5 stars |
| Forgiveness | 2.5 out of 5 stars |
The name Scotty Cameron is synonymous with high-quality putters that have been used by professional golfers for the last 25 years. Scotty Cameron has been in the putter industry for more than 25 years at Titleist and has built putters for professional golfers for the last 20 years.
Over the last couple of releases, the Scotty Cameron putters moved away from its tried-and-tested formula of milled putters and started adding inserts in the face of the putter. The inserts have been a trend in the industry to reduce the impact between putter and golf ball for enhanced feel and sound.
The release of the latest Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter in 2021 returns to the tried and tested formula of producing milled putters. The changes to the 2020 range of Scotty Cameron putters have all been inspired by golfers on professional tours.
In this Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2 review, you’ll learn everything you need to know before buying this putter.
Read next: The Best Putters of All-Time
The Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Features
Let’s cover each of the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 design elements and features to see if it’s best for you.
Performance
The new Special Select Newport 2 is built around “Performance Balanced Weighting” referring to the interchangeable weights that have been used for many years. The weights in the Newport 2 make use of Tungsten.
The Newport 2 performs well but is quite dependent on the type of ball used. Some premium balls feel softer off the face than others. Ultimately you would go a long way to find any putter that can compare to the performance of the new model. This is one of the best golf clubs in terms of performance.
Forgiveness
Scotty Cameron’s are not built for forgiveness but for golfers who consistently hit the sweet spot of the putter. However, Scotty Cameron claims that the weight distribution increases the sweet spot to offset any slight mishit.
Quality
You would say that the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 offers good balance, feel and weight. The higher price tag and reputation means that the quality will be top notch. Scotty Cameron has become a name in golf that most recognize as a quality putter.
Tiger Woods and his use of this putter made it even more famous.
Shaft
The Select Newport 2 putter comes with a steel shaft with an offset and is available in 33 inches, 34 inches, and 35 inches.
Sole
The new Scotty Cameron Newport 2 comes with a redesigned soft Tri-sole, thus moving away from the four-way balanced sole that was on the 2018 model. The innovative design aims to promote the putter head to sit square to the target line at address.
Hosel
The Newport 2 putter features a new take on the plumber’s neck by making it slightly shorter to improve toe flow, along with a new socket radius at the point where the hosel neck meets the top line. This improves the visibility of the ball and the leading edge at address.
Weight
For optimized weight distribution, the weight is distributed between the putter head and the grip. There is a new Tungsten balanced weight to ensure that every putter is perfectly balanced based on putter length. This furthermore results in a higher MOI attributable to the concentration of mass on the heel and toe.
Looks
The latest Newport 2 is based on a conventional Anser 2-style putter with square shoulders and bumpers with a plumber’s neck. The top line is thinner and flatter than recent Cameron releases with sharper lines along with the bumpers.
There are 3 dots in the cavity and the painting is unique with a red ring instead of a complete paint fill.
The words “Cameron” and “Titleist” are engraved on either side of the neck. The name Scotty Cameron is placed strategically on the putter face to make it the Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2. We would say that the Newport 2 does exceptionally well in the looks department.
Sound
The face is now milled from 303 stainless steel inlay and a 303 stainless steel body without any insert producing a softer sound and feel. The head and grip have more mass meant to promote a pleasant sound. You will feel surprised at the impact sound of the Newport 2.
Feel
The face construction dampens the impact by approximately 30% on this Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2 putter. The weights on the bottom of the head help to enhance the feel and distance control.
We will say that the weight distribution on this putter makes it a premium standard. Every putt feels so smooth. You don’t feel like it weighs too much, and you don’t feel like it weighs too little. Keep in mind that the premium balls will feel softer off the face with this one. The craftsmanship is second to none, and for anyone who prefers soft putters, this will do the trick.
You can feel when you push a putt outward or pull a putt inward with this one. The sweet spot is also easy to determine with this one.
Price
Scotty Cameron putters have never been cheap, and the Newport 2 is not going to change that any time soon. It’s a top-end putter that comes at a premium price.
Who We Recommend It For
If you like a soft feel and are an advanced golfer who consistently find the center of their putter, this putter should work for you.
This putter was made for the low to mid handicappers, but we wouldn’t recommend it for the high handicappers. For the high handicappers who want a Scotty Cameron club, we would recommend a club from the Phantom X series.
Anyone serious about the sport of golf may want to invest in a putter like this one since they made it for golf championships. You have a larger sweet spot with this golf club, excellent comfort, and good stability.
They made the edges of the Newport 2 sharper than the original Newport, which they did for those who want a more mechanical look to their putter. All fans of Scotty Cameron golf products may want to check this one out since it’s the best putter that they have put out in a long time.
Final Verdict
We would score this putter a five out of five stars because everything about this putter screams quality. When Tiger Woods uses the Scotty Cameron Newport 2, you know that it has to be a good putter.
We find it hard to critique this one except on price, and it wasn’t meant for high handicappers, so beginners wouldn’t want to check out the alternatives below.
Read More: You can find used Scotty Cameron putters for lower prices.
Newport 2 Alternatives
Finding a competitor to the Scotty Newport 2 is difficult. There is a particularly good reason many professional golfers have used and stayed with putters from the Scotty Cameron stable for many years.
Some putters come near the performance levels expected but still have not achieved the exact level of performance.
1. Odyssey Stroke Lab Versa putters — Best Alternative for Beginners
Pros
- Superior control
- Highly rated by the professionals — #1 putter manufacturer
- More consistent and forgiving stroke
- Costs less than the Scotty Cameron Newport 2
- Expert weight distribution
- Great face insert
- Good for high handicappers
Cons
- Still more expensive than other alternatives
- Not the best-looking finish
Odyssey putters are highly rated by professional golfers, and in fact, over 45 PGA tour professionals use Odyssey putters making it the #1 putter manufacturer for professional golfers. But this model was made for the high handicapper or a beginner new to golf.
You would consider this a good alternative to the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 if you wanted better control and a slightly heavier golf head. That all helps you to complete smoother and more accurate golf strokes.
Although the feel and design are remarkably similar to the Scotty Cameron Newport 2, the shaft design differentiates the two putters.
Each Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter comes with a traditional steel shaft while Odyssey makes use of a shaft that is manufactured from 50% steel and 50% graphite saving you 40 grams compared to a standard shaft-grip setup.
The weight savings in the shaft allows Odyssey to move more weight to the putter head and the grip. The extra weight in the putter head and the grip pushes the balance point closer to the hands for a more consistent and forgiving stroke.
Even though the Odyssey Stroke Lab putter is considered a high-end putter, you can expect to pay considerably less than Scotty Cameron Newport 2.
2. TaylorMade Truss — Best Performing Alternative
Pros
- Awesome stability
- Good forgiveness
- Performance excels other choices
- Less expensive than the Newport 2
- Grip feels great
- Promotes a more stable stroke
Cons
- Has a strange look to it
- Grass gets stuck in the grooves
The Truss putters from TaylorMade are aimed at players who want the steadiness and forgiveness of a mallet and the looks of a traditional blade putter at address.The Truss is a triangle-shaped hosel with two connection points on the putter head resulting in the hosel covering nearly half of the topline. This creates less twisting in the putter head at contact and more consistency of the stroke and provides more forgiveness when your strike is slightly off-center.
Similarly, to the Scotty Cameron Newport 2, there are 2 adjustable sole weights in the heel and the toe. You will find the trusted KBS CT Tour putter shaft that provides stability and less deflection at impact. Unlike Scotty Cameron Newport 2, TaylorMade has a Pure Roll insert which has been part of their putters since the Spider range.
Pricewise, the TaylorMade Truss putters are substantially less expensive than the Scotty Cameron Newport 2.
3. Cleveland Frontline 4.0 putter — The Cheapest Alternative
Pros
- Easy to align
- Great performer in the middle range
- The material feels somewhat cheap
- Less expensive than the Newport 2
- Awesome grip
- Good forgiveness
Cons
- Cheap materials used for this putter
- The weight distribution feels off
- Makes a loud sound on the strike
The Cleveland Frontline 4.0 Putter is a popular option for those wanting more value than the Scotty Cameron Newport 2.This Frontline makes use of Speed Optimized Face Technology (SOFT) aimed at normalizing ball speed across the face of the putter for more consistent performance on mishits.
To assist in better alignment even if your eyes are not in the correct position at address, Cleveland incorporated their 2135 technology used on the Elevado, Cero, and Iso models.
Shafts are available in the 33-inch, 34-inch, and 35-inch lengths and feature an offset.
A big differentiating factor on the Cleveland Frontline putter is the focus on moving the center of gravity forward to the front of the head rather than the most frequently used method of pushing it back.
This is achieved through the Cleveland-developed new Metal Injected Molded (MIM) Tungsten Forward Weighting technology and results in more forgiving and consistent putts.
The cost of the Cleveland Frontline putters gives it quite an advantage over other top-end putters.
Read more: These are the best golf clubs on the market today.
FAQs
What Is the Difference Between a Scotty Cameron Newport and a Scotty Cameron 2?
The Newport feels heavier compared to the Newport 2, which could relate to the more compact head. You may find it easier to sell the Newport 2 due to its raging popularity. The Newport is slightly shorter than the Newport 2. The sweet spot on the Newport 2 sits lower to the ground than the Newport.
Is the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Forgiving?
Scotty Cameron designed the Newport 2 more for the low to mid-handicap players, and it isn’t the most forgiving putter on the market. Most golfers don’t buy this putter for its forgiveness, and it wouldn’t make the best choice for those who want forgiveness.
Is the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Worth It?
The Scotty Cameron Newport 2 will retain its value longer than any other putter on the market. For the low to mid handicappers, they will see a good return on their investment. The putter is the most used club in the bag, which makes it worth having a good one.
What Year Did Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Come Out?
Scotty Cameron released the Newport 2 in 1997. The mechanical look and sharp weighted golf head stood in stark contrast to the original Newport. The Newport 2 has a blocker appearance, and the sightline on it allows for ease of alignment.
Final Thoughts
By moving back to the milled putter, Scotty Cameron made many of his supporters extremely happy. It is not that the insert was atrocious, but they became accustomed to and loved the milled putter. Returning to the “one-piece” milling enhances the feel and feedback while retaining the good looks.
The redesigned head shapes offer a sleeker look, heavier heel-toe tungsten weights, and an enlarged sweet spot for more stability.
Golfers have known Scotty Cameron putters to be at the top-end of the market and through the return to milling the putter, the features that made the putter so popular have returned.
Even though it is priced at the top-end of the market, there will be many low to mid-handicap golfers who will have success with the Scotty Cameron Newport 2.
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Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
